Cleopatra's Boudoir: Cadolle Freres

Cadolle Freres of Paris France, established in 1889 as a haute couture corsetry and lingerie shop in Buenos Aires by Herminie Cadolle, she opened a Paris shop in 1910 as a family business with fashionable clientele at 14 rue Cambon.

The company was responsible for introducing and patenting the first brassiere back in 1889 at the Paris Exposition, the corselet-gorge, and an expression she in which she later referred to as Amour en Cage, or "Caged Love", her term for a woman’s bust encased by the brassiere. This French expression used since around 1910 when a play of the same name was successfully gracing the French stages.

American Perfumer & Essential Oil Review, 1927:

:Cadolle is a renowned corset maker, at 14 rue Cambon and is selling perfumes richly made up in lame tissue covered boxes."

She opened a shop in Paris at 24, rue de la Chaussee-d'Antin. It wasn't until after the first world war that she moved to 14 rue de Cambon, Paris.

Like other couturiers of the period, her grand daughter Marguerite launched a range of fragrances in 1926 as part of their fashion lines. It was a combination of her legendary corset and that famous play L’Amour en Cage which inspired Cadolle to name her perfume in 1926, aptly named Amour en Cage. This perfume was very exclusive as it was first given only to selected clients and became the must have accessory for anyone who purchased Cadolle’s creations. The perfume was housed inside of a truncated pyramidal bottle accented with gilded enameling. Its exquisite presentation box opened up on four sides. The firm of Marboef et Cie produced the papers, boxes and labels for this luxurious perfume presentation.

Female tennis star and Wimbledon champion Suzanne Lenglen inspired three of Cadolle Freres perfumes, all branded under the Suzanne Lenglen name, Suzanne Lenglen Pour Le Sport, Suzanne Lenglen Apres le Tennis and Suzanne Lenglen Pour Le Soir, all of which debuted in 1926. Cadolle reportedly paid Lenglen "$5,000 for the privilege of making her perfumes for her", according to a 1926 newspaper article. Various sizes of the Pour le Soir perfume retailed for $7.50 to $22.50 in 1926.

Pour le Soir was described as being a "faint, elusive" perfume with a sweet suggestion of dew-wet gardens in June, and delicate breezes of subtle flowers.

Chicago Tribune, 1927:

"New! Sports Perfumes. The swift refreshment and vigor of your favorite sports - carried on the breath of the two exquisite new perfumes marked "Suzanne Lenglen"! The one is "Pour le Sport," the other, "Apres le Tennis." And there is a third called "Pour le Soir." All are in smart square bottles - and as smartly boxed."

The Hartford Courant, 1927:

"Mme. Cadolle has just opened a perfume department with several new perfumes, one of which has been taken over by a large New York house. This is "Pour le Sport," a clear fresh scent especially created for sportswear," Pour le Soir" to wear in the evening, "Bois Sauvage" and "No. 9"."

More fragrances were to follow including Le Bois Sauvage, which sounds like it would have been a woody fragrance for women and the beloved Cadolle No. 9 both of which debuted in 1927. Le Bois Sauvage perfectly evokes the cool, crisp fragrance of a forest with its mingled aromas of damp moss, wet tree trunks, wild flowers, and pine needle-covered pathways. Julien Viard designed its pretty bottle with molded and frosted pattern evoking the verdant undergrowth of the glade.

Cadolle No. 9 was created as a direct answer to Chanel’s eternal classic No. 5 perfume. In 1989, this exquisite oriental perfume was reformulated with modern ingredients and relaunched. The result was a powdery soft oriental fragrance that was available in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette forms. Cadolle No. 9 was still available in selected retailers in Europe up until around 2008.

The notes of Cadolle No. 9 described by Nigel Groom are:

Top notes: jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, lily, carnation, citrus
Middle notes: red cedar, sandalwood, rosewood
Base notes: benzoin, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli

Just after the second World War, Cadolle No. 9’s formula was sold to Paquin, creator of the famous 9 X 9 perfume. Shortly after, L’Oreal purchased Paquin, and Cadolle No. 9 was then purchased again by their namesake firm, Poupie Cadolle, who incorporated Cadolle Parfums in 1986. The firm is now known as the House of Cadolle, now run by Herminie Cadolle’s great-great-great granddaughter. www.cadolle.com. Cadolle No. 9 was still available in selected retailers in Europe up until around 2008.

A series of floral scents were also released including Gardenia, Jasmin and Magnolia. It is interesting to note that Chanel also brought out these same named fragrances during the period.